Yay! Summer is here.  Every child should know how to swim, whether they have kinky curly, straight, curly, relaxed, or natural hair.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 people die from unintentional drowning every single day, and for black children the chances of drowning are “significantly higher than those for whites and Hispanics at every age from five years through 18.” While the risk of unintentional drowning persists throughout childhood, the age when black kids are most vulnerable is 10.

About 70% of African Americans cannot swim. This is an alarmingly high percentage. And that makes us three times more susceptible to drowning than any other ethnic group in America. Black children drown FIVE times more often that than of White children, according to the USA Swimming Foundation.

Swimming is a life skill. Every child should know how to swim and not worry about their hair. I never want a child to miss out on one of life’s great experiences because they are worried about how to protect or style their natural hair.

5 simple ways to protect natural hair while swimming.

1. Use a good swim cap (latex or silicone) – although, swim caps don’t keep all your hair dry; they help minimize sun damage. Excessive sun damage can lead to hair breakage. Please make sure all your edges are not being pulled to tightly and the swim cap is the proper size.
2. Wash & Rinse hair well – this seems like a no brainer but it is very important no matter the hair type or texture. Immediately after you swim, wash and rinse your hair well. Our lavender mango shampoo and pink sugar protein conditioner are the perfect combination to help remove chlorine from the hair shaft.
3. Deep Condition – our blueberry deep conditioner is a must for any swimmer. You must deep condition your hair to restore moisture. Chlorine strips moisture from hair, that is why hair feels dry and brittle when Chlorine is not rinsed out of hair properly. Add our deep conditioner to hair and cover with plastic cap for 5 minutes. Rinse out the deep conditioner and  style with our coconut soufflé leave in conditioner.

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4. Protective Styles are a must – wear a protective style like simple braids, bantu knots, or twists to prevent tangling and minimize chlorine water absorption while swimming.
5. Use a protectant – You can put some of our vegan hair oil (coming soon) or coconut oil around the edges and on the hair before putting on the swim cap. Adding a coat of oil or protectant will aid in minimizing chlorine water penetration while moisturizing your strands. Also, you can conditioner your hair with our pink sugar protein conditioner, before you put on your swim cap.

Yummy Tip: What is Chlorine? Chlorine is a chemical element, it is a gas not a liquid. Because of its bleaching and disinfectant properties, chlorine is an important part of many cleaning products. This is why chlorine is used in swimming pools. In pool water, chlorine kills bacteria and keeps the water clean. Chlorine is bad for your hair because it strips your hair of its natural oils and moisture which can result in hair breakage.

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Happy Swimming!